Signing Day Profile: Louisville

Heading into Signing Day, Rick Pitino's 2017 recruiting class sits at No. 7 in Scout's class rankings. What went right? What went wrong? Here's the breakdown of Louisville's class.

What went right?

Rick Pitino had a couple of goals when he dove into the 2017 recruiting class. One was to find a point guard, as he only has Quentin Snider for two more years and needs to groom someone to take over for him when he graduates. The other two were to find a shooter and add some size.

Pitino and his staff were able to accomplish all three goals prior to the start of the signing period.

On the point guard front, Louisville picked up a pledge form Scout’s No. 76 overall prospect Darius Perry. Tough and aggressive, Perry fits the mold of a Louisville guard. He’s a relentless attacker and a well-balanced scorer. But he also fits what Pitino wants on the defensive end, as Perry is one of the best on the ball defenders in the 2017 class.

In terms of adding a shooter, Louisvlle reeled in one of the best in the country in Jordan Nwora. A versatile forward that will likely play on the wing and as a face up four-man, Nwora has an effortless stroke and made nearly 40-percent of 109 attempts from distance in EYBL.

Louisville’s highest rated recruit is Malik Williams, Scout’s No. 21 overall prospect. Williams gives Louisville some legitimate size, as he stands 6-foot-10. Williams is a skilled and mobile power forward that impacts the game with his ability to score. He can step out, face the rim and make jump shots and has impressive touch.

The fourth member of Louisville’s recruiting class is four-star forward Lance Thomas. A versatile post player, Thomas has good size at 6-foot-10, and he’s mobile, athletic and has quite a bit of potential on the offensive end.

What went wrong?

Truth be told, I think Louisville would have had liked to add a shooting guard with a reputation for making jumpers in this class. They offered scholarships to Brandon Randolph and Alex O’Connell, but were spurned by both, as Randolph cut Louisville and went to Arizona, while O’Connell jumped at a Duke offer.

Louisville had also heavily pursued Makai Ashton-Langford, a top 50 prospect, but the Cardinals were first come first serve at the point guard position and Perry jumped at the opportunity, so it’s hard to say they went wrong in that recruitment.

What’s left to do?

It appears Louisvlle, who ranks as Scout’s No. 7 overall class, is done in 2017. All four players are expected to sign during the signing period.

Now that said, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Louisville looked to add another player in the spring or worked the waiver wire for transfers. Pitino Louisville’s transfers and has had quite a bit of success with them over the years.